New Caledonia is located in a cyclone zone, the New Caledonian Armed Forces (FANC) are regularly involved in emergency relief operations and assistance to the population at the request of the High Commission. They deploy logistical means, as they did for the transport of freight to the Loyalty Islands and in particular to Ouvéa and Tiga, in cooperation with the DSCGR, following the passage of tropical depression Lucas in February 2021. The FANC also carried out free transfers of furniture in support of the associations assisting the disaster-stricken families.
An equivalent support is provided to Wallis and Futuna whenever necessary, but also to the Oceanian island States when they request it, notably in the framework of the FRANZ agreement with Australia and New Zealand.
The FANC resources are also called upon for bushfire fighting interventions. In January 2021, the FANC sent firefighters from La Tontouta airbase 186, in the commune of Païta, to support the firefighters of the commune and the civil security.
The assistance to the civilian population is also an important part of their action. Recently, the FANC carried out emergency medical evacuations (EVASAN) with their various air vehicles, due to the unavailability of civilian means and always on request of the High Commission:
- A CASA transport aircraft evacuated a civilian whose prognosis was vital to Australia. This international flight in a COVID context was perfectly coordinated between the military crew and the Europ Assistance medical team;
- In Vanuatu, a mission was launched at the request of the Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs (MEAE) to evacuate a patient, whose prognosis was vital, from Port-Vila to the Médipole;
- Following a request for assistance from the Superior Administrator of Wallis and Futuna, relayed by the High Commission, the FANC made a Gardian maritime surveillance aircraft available for the medical evacuation of two injured people whose prognosis was vital;
- FANC deployed a Puma helicopter to evacuate two people from Ouvéa: the speed of this intervention enabled the patients to be taken care of in Nouméa in the best possible conditions.
The FANC resources are also called upon for maritime rescue operations. In 2021, a sailboat with engine and helm failure was relocated and guided by the Gardian maritime patrol aircraft. The launch Dumbéa took part in the search with the SNSM for a swimmer on Meridien beach.
Finally, the FANC also carry out other missions that call upon the capabilities of the three armies (Land, Air, Sea):
- Sovereignty missions focused on fisheries surveillance and State action at sea in an exclusive economic zone of 2 million km2 (New Caledonia and Wallis and Futuna) but also presence tours in the tribes of Grande Terre and the Islands;
- Interventions of explosives specialists (EOD) who are the only deminers in the territory.
For the year 2020, the French armed forces in New Caledonia (FANC) participated in:
- 18 EOD interventions ;
- 8 EVASAN Puma and 1 EVASAN CASA;
- 4 maritime rescue operations (1 by Puma and 3 by Gardian);
- 5 forest fire operations (2 by the RSMA and 3 by the fire and rescue squadron of BA 186 in La Tontouta).
And for the year 2021:
- SAR (search and rescue) missions: PUMA: 4 SAR missions ; GUARDIAN: 3 SAR missions, 2 of which were of opportunity ;
- Rescue: CASA: 5 EVASAN missions ; Puma: five EVASAN missions, 2 SECMAR missions and 1 PUMA SAR ; GARDIAN: 3 EVASAN missions ;
- 2 SECMAR missions (sailboat search and underwater diver search);
- The number of EOD interventions remains the same with 24 missions (as in 2020), the vast majority of which are related to the neutralisation of munitions;
- In addition to the renewal of the Nina phenomenon, the bushfire season resulted in 4 missions conducted by the FANC.
Source : État-major des armées - EMA
Rights : État-major des armées - EMA